Turkey arrests 120 Daesh suspects in September

MALATYA, Turkey

Turkish security forces arrested a total of 120 Daesh suspects during their anti-terror operations in the month of September.

According to information compiled by Anadolu Agency, the operations were conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces, General Directorate of Security, Gendarmerie General Command and National Intelligence Organization.

The operations were conducted in northwestern Istanbul, southern Adana and Osmaniye, western Izmir, southeastern Diyarbakir and Gaziantep, central Kayseri and Konya, eastern Bingol and northern Samsun provinces. The security forces arrested 120 suspected Daesh terrorists and 35 of them were remanded in custody.

At least fourteen out of 40 suspects -- who were detained in Bingol-based operation launched in 14 different provinces -- were remanded in custody.

Twenty-two suspects were arrested in Diyarbakir-based operation against Daesh terror group.

In an Istanbul-based operation, eight suspected members of Daesh arrested, two of them were foreign females.

Daesh's bomb expert caught

A Syrian national, who is an alleged bomb expert and identified by the initials U.E., was arrested in Osmaniye.

The gendarmerie forces found that the suspect participated in several terrorist activities in Syria and entered Turkey illegally in 2017.

A senior Daesh suspect, who was identified by the initials M.E.B and was responsible for ordering executions in Syria’s Raqqa, was arrested in Istanbul.

Istanbul police was following the suspect closely -- who was carrying multiple identity cards -- and caught him in an operation.

The suspect was carrying multiple identity cards and had role in execution orders in Raqqa.

Another suspect, identified as Muhammed R. and was allegedly involved in the execution of people in Syria, was arrested in Izmir province.

The suspect illegally crossed to Turkey and was preparing to flee abroad. He was arrested for being a member of an armed terrorist organization.

So-called emir of Tal Afar arrested

Four Iraqi nationals, including so-called emir of Iraq's Tal Afar, were arrested in Kayseri province.

The so-called emir, identified by the code name Abu Muhammed, had first joined Al-Qaeda terror group in 2008 and later joined Daesh terror group in 2012.

He is said to be responsible for the deaths of 30,000 people. He illegally crossed to Turkey two months ago and his duty was to get more women to the terror organization.

More than 300 people have lost their lives in Daesh-claimed attacks in Turkey, where the terror organization has targeted civilians in suicide bombs, rocket and gun attacks.

Turkish security forces have been involved in a long-running campaign to thwart Daesh activities.

*Writing by Davut Demircan